Numerous known hybrid air conditioning systems utilize, in combination, a liquid desiccant dehumidification subsystem to handle system latent heat loads and a conventional refrigeration subsystem, vapor compression type or absorption type, to handle system sensible heat loads. In this regard see, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,269,053 (Crawford), U.S. Pat. No. 2,355,828 (Taylor), U.S. Pat. No. 2,690,656 (Cummings), U.S. Pat. No. 3,102,399 (Meckler), U.S. Pat. No. 3,247,679 (Meckler), U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,849 (Griffiths), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,471 (Meckler).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,409 (Satoma) discloses use of direct evaporative cooling to supplement the cooling capacity of a vapor compression refrigeration air conditioning system and also interact with the vapor refrigeration subsystem condenser element.
A hybrid air conditioning system utilizing direct evaporative cooling to enhance total system performance efficiency also is described and claimed in my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/302,428, filed Jan. 27, 1989 and issued Mar. 6, 1990 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,479. In addition, an indirect evaporative cooling system combined with a liquid desiccant dehumidifier and intended to supplement, in a residential application, the cooling capacity of a conventional vapor compression refrigeration air conditioning system is marketed in the United States under the name "Kathabar" by the Midland-Ross Division of Combustion Engineering Corporation.
The above-identified prior art is the most relevant known to applicant regarding the hybrid air conditioning system described and claimed herein.